


cloud envy

by esmeraldablazingsky



Category: Naruto
Genre: Clouds, Dating, F/M, Fluff, I LOVE HIM A LOT, actually I love all of them a lot, also choji being a good friend, potato chips, shikamaru and temari lowkey dating, shikamaru likes clouds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 04:07:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11028303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esmeraldablazingsky/pseuds/esmeraldablazingsky
Summary: Shikamaru and Temari go on a sort-of date, aka they eat chips and watch clouds with Chōji. It's pretty great.





	cloud envy

**Author's Note:**

> this is kind of a sequel to cheer up you little shit, as in they go on their date, but whatever.

Shikamaru watches Temari walk a little bit ahead to their destination, and wonders how a girl like her ever decided to open up to a guy like him. 

Sometimes she is older than her age, all barbed words and razor-sharp smiles and deadly resolve, but then again sometimes she is younger, the hard edges of a Suna girl replaced by something soft and sweet and desperate for approval. Shikamaru thinks back to right after Tayuya had been defeated, and how proud of herself Temari had been. Tough-as-nails Temari, cold-as-ice Temari, with a smile on her face that hurt Shikamaru's heart just a little. 

He watches as Chōji offers Temari some potato chips, and watches as she accepts them, and realizes that he's glad they get along alright- he doesn't want to part with either one. It's a strange thing to realize, but Shikamaru knows that without Chōji he'd be lost, and without Temari things wouldn't be the same either. 

"Hey, wait up," he says, suddenly realizing that Temari and Chōji are walking way faster than is absolutely necessary- or maybe it's just that Shikamaru is walking far too slowly, but it doesn't really matter. 

"Hurry up," says Temari impatiently, stopping and turning around to wait with her hips tilted to the side in a way that's both effortless and deliberate. "Even the clouds can't wait forever, you know." Shikamaru sighs and hurries to catch up with his best friend and his date, both of whom he loves more than anything but seriously, why can't they just walk a little slower? He falls into step between the two of them and they start walking again, the rhythm of their footsteps sounding in unison like they were always meant to be together, walking to nowhere in particular to do nothing all day. 

"Chōji, give me another chip," says Temari, bossy as hell like she always is, and Chōji doesn't miss a beat before pulling out another bag and handing it to her. Shikamaru steals a chip out of Temari's bag as they walk past a chain link fence and into a meadow. Temari pretends not to notice the theft even though Shikamaru doesn't have the energy to even try and be stealthy. 

"Here we are," says Chōji as the trio arrives at the top of a hill. The grass is a surreal shade of green and there's a single tree to provide a shelter from the glaring sun- it's a perfect day, and Shikamaru flops down in the grass to enjoy it. 

"This is nice," says Temari happily, lying down with her hands laced neatly over her stomach. He's not at the right angle to see, but Shikamaru is absolutely certain that the sky is reflecting in her eyes, and that she's smiling in a way she never does except when nobody's looking, and that it's probably beautiful. 

Shikamaru can still hear the crunching of potato chips but somehow it doesn't detract from the peace that settles over the hill, muting everything but the smell of flowers and the sound of the breeze as it ruffles the long stalks of grass and the deep green leaves of the tree overhead. Temari's right, it is nice. To Shikamaru, it feels like being in sync with the world and the people who matter the most in it- it feels like everything he's ever wanted, all at once. It was a good idea to show Temari the clouds, he thinks. She is tough as nails and cold as ice but she's also just a girl- powerful and dangerous and sure of herself, but at the same time, eager and loving and still so young. 

Shikamaru sort of wonders if Temari envies the clouds like he does- if she wants their freedom and their carefree lightness. He wonders if she's weighed down by worries and cares, and if watching the clouds helps her like it helps him. He turns to sneak a glance at her face, to see if he can tell what she's thinking. She looks back at him and their eyes meet and she starts to really smile, blue eyes bright and sparkling with happiness. Showing her the clouds was a good idea, Shikamaru is certain of it now. They don't exchange words just then, only knowing looks, but the meaning is still clear as day. It's a 'thank you' and an 'I love this' and maybe an 'I love you' all at once. 

Shikamaru envies the clouds their freedom, but he'll stay tethered to the ground if this is what it means to be human- being a cloud would make things easier, but to be truly carefree, maybe you don't need to fly. 

 

~end~


End file.
